HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – After COVID-19 related cancellations throughout much of January, Northern Kentucky women's basketball returns to action with a road trip to Milwaukee this weekend. NKU plays in hopes of remaining undefeated in conference play.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (4-5 Overall, 4-0 Horizon League)
Milwaukee Panthers (15-1 Overall, 12-0 Horizon League)
Friday, Jan. 29 – 6:00 p.m. (ET)
Saturday, Jan. 30 – 5:00 p.m. (ET)
Milwaukee, Wisc. | Klotsche Center (3,500)
TV: ESPN+  (Game 1) (Game 2)
Stats: Live Stats

 
Fast Break Points 
• After playing just once in the last 40 days, which includes facing 11 cancelations, NKU finally returns to action with a two-game set at Milwaukee on Saturday.• The last time the Norse played was a close New Year's Day matchup against No. 2 Louisville. Despite leading at points in the second half, NKU fell short, 74-64.
• NKU is out to its best-ever start in Horizon League play at 4-0 thanks to a pair of 83-48 and 80-63 wins against PFW on December 19 and 20, respectively. 
• The Norse are defeating their conference opponents by an average margin of 23 points through four games..
• Through nine games this season, NKU is outrebounding its opponents by 10.4 boards per game (42.1-31.7 rpg). That margin ranks 26th-best in the nation.
• NKU is 6-5 all-time against Milwaukee. In its last matchup with the Panthers, the Norse were victorious, 78-58, on March 5, 2020.
• Milwaukee proves to be a formidable foe for the Norse this weekend. It enters the game at an outstanding 15-1 mark on the year and is currently receiving four votes in the Associated Press Top-25 poll. It is also ranked sixth-best among mid-majors in the CollegeInsider.com poll.
• NKU is coming off of its first 20-win season during the DI era. The Norse went 6-5 in the nonconference before posting a 12-6 mark in League play and going 2-1 in the Horizon League Championship.
• The Norse were picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League Preseason Coaches Poll.
• Junior guard Lindsey Duvall has been active and impactful early in her Norse tenure. She registered her first-three double-doubles in consecutive fashion against Bowling Green (10 points, career-high 14 rebounds), No. 19 Ohio State (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Robert Morris (21 points, 10 rebounds). She is leading the Norse in points (15.1) and rebounds (8.0) per game.
• Sophomore guard Ivy Turner was in the starting rotation every game last year. Turner contributed 8.3 ppg for NKU and was second on the team with 66 dimes. She is scoring at an even better 9.8 ppg clip this year.
• Before the January break, Grayson Rose became the third-leading scorer for the Norse after averaging 12.5 points in the last four contests. On the year, she's scoring at a 9.0 per game rate and brings in 5.0 rebounds a contest.
• Junior guard Ally Niece, who is coming off a sophomore campaign in which she was named to both the all-tournament and all-league second teams, earned a spot on the All-Horizon League Preseason First Team. She is averaging 7.7 ppg this year.
• Senior forward Kailey Coffey has played in 101 games with 100 starts (good for 13th all-time) during a Norse career in which she has moved into 10th all-time at NKU with 735 rebounds.
• Sophomore guard Carissa Garcia averaged 7.3 ppg as a freshman and continues to make an impact with 7.7 scores a contest. 
• Five newcomers joined the squad this season, including Louisville transfer junior guard Duvall as well as freshmen guard Kennedy Igo, center Emma Palmer, center Christyan Reid and guard/wing Ellie Taylor.

Last Time Out
The Norse showed off the progress they made on the season in a tough battle with one of the best teams in the country. Although NKU eventually fell to No. 2 Louisville on Jan. 1, 74-64, the Norse kept things wire-to-wire for much of the game, trailing by just two points at halftime and leading the contest with 3:56 left in the third quarter. Stingy defense on the perimeter was a big factor in keeping things close for NKU, as Louisville shot just 4-for-22 (18 percent) from the three-point arc.
 
Lindsey Duvall was the star of the show against her former team, downing 20 points on 7-for-14 (50 percent) shooting. Rose was the other Norse in double-figures with 11 points and Turner nearly reached a triple-double with eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists. 
 
Scouting Milwaukee
At an incredible 15-1 record, Milwaukee's only loss comes to fellow 2020-21 NKU opponent Bowling Green, who is sitting 20th in mid-major rankings. Since that game, Milwaukee rattled off 12-consecutive wins and remains perfect in Horizon League play, even besting preseason favorite IUPUI in two-straight games.
 
Megan Walstad leads the Panthers with 13.9 points and 9.7 rebounds; she has seven double-doubles on the season and scores the three-ball at a 41 percent rate. Brandi Bisping is also one to look out for, with 10.4 points and 7.9 rebounds a contest.

Series Stuff
NKU is 6-5 against Milwaukee all-time. The Norse defeated the Panthers in their last matchup in BB&T Arena, 78-58, to reach the Horizon League semifinals.